Self-Inflicted Abuse

Bassem Eid wants the world to know about human rights abuse by Palestinians.

Human Rights Watch founder Robert L. Bernstein has been roundly criticized for arguing that his own organization, which by its repeated reports suggests that Israel’s human rights record is so reprehensible as to warrant heightened condemnation, has unfairly demonized Israel. To get a first-hand account of this ongoing argument, I arranged to accompany my son, a documentary filmmaker in Israel, on a recent appointment to tape an interview with Bassem Eid, the general director of the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group.

Apprehensively, we drive north out of West Jerusalem into the East Jerusalem neighborhood known as Beit Hanina. Israel’s reviled security barrier, a concrete scar rising into the sky, dominates the landscape. The streets, crowded with top-of-the-line Mercedes, VW’s and BMW’s, as well as vehicular detritus that would easily qualify for America’s cash-for-clunkers program, teem with Arabs, mostly young, but some bent with age. Other than a singled parked Israeli police car with two bored (and when we ask for directions, unhelpful) police officers, there are no Jews to be seen. Up a narrow, unevenly paved street, in a non-descript building, is the neat office of the Monitoring Group, staffed, in addition to Eid, by three Palestinian women – one Muslim, one Christian and one unidentifiable.

Bassem Eid is a short, dark-complexioned Muslim with a quick smile and a vibrant energy who lives in a refugee camp. My son and I are late for the interview, having gotten lost in the unfamiliar streets of East Jerusalem, but Eid’s hospitality predominates over his impatience. As he sits in front of the camera and my son begins to ask questions, Eid quickly warms to his subject.

Eid spent many years working with B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights group that focuses on Israeli abuses in the territories. My son and I were pretty sure what we would hear: the usual catalogue of complaints about Israel’s barriers to travel, humiliating searches and police harassment. But although Eid is critical of Israel, and in particular its West Bank settlements, this is not at all his focus. It turns out that he formed the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group when he concluded that a major element in the abuse of Palestinians – the abuse of Palestinians by the Palestinian Authority – was being overlooked. And on this subject, he is an expert.

The human rights situation in the PA is “very disturbing,” and marked by “illegal detention ... political arrests, [and] torture inside the PA detention centers.”

To Eid, Palestinians’ self-inflicted abuses are more serious that any by Israelis. He describes the human rights situation in the Palestinian Authority as “very disturbing,” and marked by “illegal detention ... political arrests, [and] torture inside the PA detention centers.” Eid, who himself has been arrested by the PA, says he has seen the signs of torture on the bodies of Palestinians held by the PA. He notes that the PA in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza present an “equal picture,” and that there is “no difference” between them. Each uses imprisonment for years, without trial and without charges, and torture against opponents. Each is deeply corrupt, looking after personal interests “to build themselves rather than to build the society itself.”

Nor can the West have a clear picture of these abuses. “I do not think,” Eid says, “that there is any kind of open media anywhere in the Palestinian territories, neither in Gaza nor the West Bank.” Journalists continue to be confined in West Bank prisons, and critical media, he says, has been closed down. “Mr. Abbas,” says Eid, “may talk about free media where he is ruling but in my opinion, as a human rights organization, we are receiving a lot of reports how the right of free expression is being completely violated by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and by the Hamas in the Gaza strip.” Moreover, according to Eid, these government abuses result in self-censorship, since journalists, once imprisoned and sometimes tortured in both the West Bank and Gaza, prefer to avoid a return visit.

Eid notes that Western reporters are largely shielded from what is actually occurring in Gaza and the West Bank. “Foreign journalists are based more in Jerusalem rather than in Gaza or the West Bank. For their safety, they prefer Jerusalem.” So, says Eid, they rely on local journalists, who lack the objectivity that is expected from Western media.

In America and in Europe, reports emphasizing Israeli abuses (like those of Hamas Rights Watch) are widely publicized, creating an image of downtrodden Palestinians thirsting to be free of the Israeli boot while anxious to exercise a right of return. Eid rejects this picture. He has visited refugee camps in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, and says that 70 percent of the refuges would prefer compensation over the right of return, because they understand the political reality that “return” means they would have to live within the borders of a Palestinian state and not inside Israel. Palestinians, whether they reside in Lebanon, or Jordan, or in East Jerusalem, cautions Eid, “can see what is going on in Ramallah, what is going on in Nablus, [and] what is going on in Gaza. And nobody wants to be part of such a troubled life.”

Focusing on his neighbors in East Jerusalem, Eid concludes that they much prefer life in Israel.

Focusing on his neighbors in East Jerusalem, Eid concludes that they much prefer life in Israel, with its health benefits and, even for Palestinians, relatively open society, to life under the Palestinian Authority. “These people,” he says, “don’t want to become a part of the Palestinian Authority.... [They] are happy where they are right now.”

Critics in the West, and enemies in the Arab world, may suggest a moral equivalency between Israel, Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, but Palestinians, says Eid, know better. It is time for Western critics of Israel to know better as well. .

Visitor Comments: 14

The information in this article is such that it should make the front page of American newspapers and the lead story on television.
The world needs to know, but, as in the 1930s, will fight doing so.

(13)
Dave Bender,
December 13, 2009 6:34 AM

Video clips of my int'v with Eid

This is an important article, and should receive wide circulation. I interviewed Eid a few years back, and his comments then, reflect the current situation greatly:
www.youtube.com/davebender
"Bassam Eid, who heads the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group(PHRMG)talks with interviewer Dave Bender about the Palestinian leadership, power-sharing with Hamas, and relations with Israel. This clip is one of a series."

(12)
Anonymous,
December 7, 2009 4:07 PM

These abuses exist throughout the Muslim world

My compliments to the author and to Mr. Eid, but these abuses are rife throughout the world of Islam and are not limited to the PA or Hamas. It is claimed by Hamas and the PA, that, if such abuses indeed exist, it is caused by Israel's "occupation' and mistreatment of Arabs", thereby focusing the international media's and the world's attention on Israel and not on the historic cruelty and dysfunction of Islamic society .

(11)
Hussein,
December 7, 2009 8:34 AM

good article

It's a good article and useful. Certainly many people and I need to read more and longer articles that disclose what is going on in the W.Bank and Gaza. Thank you.

(10)
Harvey Rogers,
December 7, 2009 3:43 AM

Orna is right

Orns Parker is right about the need to inf rom the world about the situation in Isr, the W Bank, Gaza and the Arab Mlddle East in general. The trouble is that it's extremely difficult to get the truth known. The brain trust in the battle for Israel's survival should be working on a solution to the problem of informing the world. I write letters and try to get articles published but I'm not particularly successful in this endeavor. I know that there are others much smarter and more accomplished than I am who may prove to be more successful if they try hard enough and keep on trying. So keep trying hard.

(9)
rose,
December 7, 2009 3:23 AM

where can we watch the interview?

i believe that some of my neighbors could benefit from watching it.

(8)
Anonymous,
December 7, 2009 1:16 AM

the pa abuses

in the past year I got to know an Arab catholic family owning a small business in the old city and also living there. I got to hear about the abuse of the PA from them and also their personal desire to see Israel remain in full control of Jerusalem. They also would like to have Israeli citizenship.

(7)
Beverly Kurtin,
December 6, 2009 11:14 PM

Beware of Arab "Reporters"

A recent blood libel claiming that Israelis (not even Israeli doctors!) were stealing body organs from Arabs. Without taking so much as a tenth of a second to vet this outrageous lie, the “writer” had it published in a major Swedish paper. He admitted that he didn’t know whether or not it was true, he just “passed it along.”
The fact that foreign journalists prefer to live in Israel (for safety’s sake) means that any “news” that comes from the Arab areas are not vetted prior to being printed in Western papers.
Reporters who tell the truth are KILLED. Innocent Arabs are arrested and killed because they are supposedly helping Israel. No trials whatsoever. Just animal revenge.
We Jews are universally hated because we brought civility to the world; Hitler knew that and wanted to bring the entire world back to Paganism. The survival of the fittest is what Hitler wanted; the Arabs supported Hitler and are carrying on his methods of arresting someone, not giving them a trial and executing the poor people who get in the way of the PA or Hamas.
The world is ever ready to blind themselves to the truth about Israel and Jews. We need to be ever diligent about who is saying what. Whenever I see a “report” that has an Arab name on the report, I read it very carefully. They’re usually wrong.

(6)
AF,
December 6, 2009 11:04 PM

a dose of reality but what does it solve

so life is better as a well treated slightly second class monority under the Jewish State than opting for life inder Hamas or Fatah. That still does not mean the dream of no Jewish State and the right of return is not alive. Hatikvah is not their anthem of choice. Two States before one binational one becomes a reality is still the best approach. A Jewsih minority in Palestine and an Arab minority in Israel should not be ruled out. Maybe dreaming but not the only one. The redemption realized speedily even better and maybe more realistic

(5)
barry e lerner,
December 6, 2009 10:11 PM

publicity

Time for Western critics of Israel to know better? How are they to know unless we tell them? Do they read the Jewish Journal? But they will never know, because the sissies who are in charge of our PR are afraid to say these things, which God forbid might offend someone. There are many even worse things the Arabs do, but the aforementioned sissies are slaves to political correctness and will never let the world know. Israel deserves better.

(4)
Laurie Julian,
December 6, 2009 7:55 PM

Why isn't this in the mainstream press?

Too bad this article doesn't get printed in the mainstream press. We certainly see enough in the mainstream press about how bad Israel treats the Arabs. There is nothing about how bad Hamas or the PLO treat their own people.

(3)
Nobody,
December 6, 2009 6:57 PM

Superb!!! TAKE THIS ARTICLE TO CNN, AND FOX NEWS...

...AND BETWEN SOME MANY OTHERS,...
THE U.N.
SUPER SUPERB!!!!!

(2)
benjikid,
December 6, 2009 5:34 PM

"Arab life better in Israel"...wowdoes that tell us a lot about PA and Hamas!

One million plus Arabs living in Israel (as citizens)..but I dont see them running away to Cairo, Damascus,Beruit, or Amman...much less Gaza or even the West bank..which is a football field away! Sure Israel is tough..so would we be if someone was trying to harm or kill us everyday!

(1)
Orna Parker,
December 6, 2009 4:31 PM

Article needs to be published in major US newspaper

such as NY Times, Washington Post. Should also be emailed to White House email address

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

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